More often than not, tipsters, readers, friends, and family of Eater have one question: Where should I eat right now? What are the new restaurants? What's everyone talking about? While the Eater 18 is a crucial resource covering old standbys and neighborhood essentials across the city, it is not a chronicle of the "it" places of the moment. Enter the Eater Heatmap, which will change continually to highlight the spots crowds are flocking to at the moment or generating a big buzz. Folks are asking, "Have you been yet?" Try one of these newbies today.
New to the list:
November 2024: Legami, Chef Loong Dim SumOctober 2024: Linnette’s September 2024: the Archer August 2024: the SelectJuly 2024: Marbled & Fin, MakanJune 2024: Downtown Co-OpMay 2024: Sissy Bar, CoterieApril 2024: Da Toscano Fugazzi, XO Brasserie March 2024: Bodega Mount PleasantFebruary 2024: Cleats, Lowland Dining Room, Palmira BarbecueJanuary 2024: the Harlow, Da Toscano Porchetta ShopDecember 2023: the Quinte, Lowland Tavern, Lost Isle, Costa, BearcatNovember 2023: King BBQOctober 2023: Honeysuckle Rose
For all the latest Charleston dining intel, subscribe to Eater Charleston's newsletter.
Read More
Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.
The team from downtown bar Dalila’s opened a fun new spot in Park Circle. Sissy Bar takes inspiration from Southern California, from mezcal drinks to breakfast burritos to a massive barbacoa taco platter. Bring friends to sample all the sharable plates.
Slow-cooked brisket and whole hog meet Puerto Rican flavors at Palmira Barbecue. Pitmaster Hector Garate has been popping up around the Lowcountry for several years, but now he has a permanent address in West Ashley.
The crew from hip breakfast spot Daps opened a sports bar with better food and drinks found at typical sports bars. Find pit beef sandwiches, Thai-flavored hot dogs, green hatch chili wings, and waffle fries.
Herman Ng grew up working in his family’s Chinese restaurant, and now he owns his own with the opening of XO Brasserie. The menu focuses on Cantonese and Sichuan cooking, including XO lobster, mapo tofu, and garlic pepper beef. Don’t miss the fun cocktails or the desserts.
The couple behind Wagener Terrace hangout Berkeley’s recently opened their second restaurant, the Archer. They want it to have the same neighborhood vibes but raise the stakes with a full bar and fine dining-level comfort plates. Chef Paul Farmer (formerly of Three Sirens), puts out plates like duck frites, baked oysters, beef stroganoff, chicken liver mousse, and chilled crab dip.
Legami is a new Italian restaurant boasting a chef brought in from Rome by a family with roots in Turin, Italy. Washington Street Hospitality, which controls three Pasta Beach restaurants in New England, thought the King Street building would be another location for Pasta Beach, but decided to switch it up once they got into the historic building. Chef Andrea Congiusta cooks modern Italian fare with some influences from France. “We took inspiration from the classic fine dining, but we also want to have something fun, something that looks very fancy, and something you can crave,” says Congiusta. Dishes include king crab tagliolini, beef Wellington, and veal Milanese.
Modern steakhouse Marbled & Fin is giving all the other steakhouses a run for their money. The expansive dining room fills nightly with well-heeled customers ready to see and be seen. On the menu, chef Eucepe “Cepe” Puntriano includes all the steakhouse classics plus an emphasis on seafood dishes for non-meat eaters. Look for seafood towers, wedge salads, wagyu beef, bone marrow with oysters, creamed spinach, and more.
D.C.-based Malaysian restaurant Makan now has a second location in the Lowcountry. Chef James Wozniuk wanted the South Carolina location to feature local seafood. The ikan asam pedas, a Malaysian hot and sour fish curry, is a must-try if you like spice. There’s also rendand daging (dry beef curry), curry mee (noodle soup with chicken sausage), and kerabu mangga (mango salad).
Charleston is going crazy for soup dumplings, and newcomer Chef Loong Dim Sum delivers. The restaurant offers four flavors (pork soup, chicken soup, pork tomato soup, and truffle pork soup). The rest of the menu is quite extensive as well, with selections ranging from Sichuan mala chicken, crab rangoon, dan dan noodles, mapo tofu, and more.
The team behind Italian favorite Le Farfalle has an enticing new cafe in Charleston. The focus of Da Toscano Porchetta Shop is the housemade focaccia and everything that can be sandwiched between the airy bread. Chef Michael Toscano serves a filling chorizo and egg sandwich in the morning and a sumptuous porchetta sandwich in the afternoon. There’s also choices like prime rib, roast chicken, marinated eggplant, and so much more.
Charming new hotel the Dunlin offers sweeping views of the Kiawah River, abundant hospitality, and coastal Southern fare in its signature restaurant, Linnette’s. Chef Michael DeCicco puts out dishes like a pressed and pickled watermelon salad, wood-fired oysters, cornmeal-crusted flounder, and a sorghum-benne lacquered steak with charred okra.
The team from downtown bar Dalila’s opened a fun new spot in Park Circle. Sissy Bar takes inspiration from Southern California, from mezcal drinks to breakfast burritos to a massive barbacoa taco platter. Bring friends to sample all the sharable plates.
Slow-cooked brisket and whole hog meet Puerto Rican flavors at Palmira Barbecue. Pitmaster Hector Garate has been popping up around the Lowcountry for several years, but now he has a permanent address in West Ashley.
The crew from hip breakfast spot Daps opened a sports bar with better food and drinks found at typical sports bars. Find pit beef sandwiches, Thai-flavored hot dogs, green hatch chili wings, and waffle fries.
Herman Ng grew up working in his family’s Chinese restaurant, and now he owns his own with the opening of XO Brasserie. The menu focuses on Cantonese and Sichuan cooking, including XO lobster, mapo tofu, and garlic pepper beef. Don’t miss the fun cocktails or the desserts.
The couple behind Wagener Terrace hangout Berkeley’s recently opened their second restaurant, the Archer. They want it to have the same neighborhood vibes but raise the stakes with a full bar and fine dining-level comfort plates. Chef Paul Farmer (formerly of Three Sirens), puts out plates like duck frites, baked oysters, beef stroganoff, chicken liver mousse, and chilled crab dip.
Legami is a new Italian restaurant boasting a chef brought in from Rome by a family with roots in Turin, Italy. Washington Street Hospitality, which controls three Pasta Beach restaurants in New England, thought the King Street building would be another location for Pasta Beach, but decided to switch it up once they got into the historic building. Chef Andrea Congiusta cooks modern Italian fare with some influences from France. “We took inspiration from the classic fine dining, but we also want to have something fun, something that looks very fancy, and something you can crave,” says Congiusta. Dishes include king crab tagliolini, beef Wellington, and veal Milanese.
Modern steakhouse Marbled & Fin is giving all the other steakhouses a run for their money. The expansive dining room fills nightly with well-heeled customers ready to see and be seen. On the menu, chef Eucepe “Cepe” Puntriano includes all the steakhouse classics plus an emphasis on seafood dishes for non-meat eaters. Look for seafood towers, wedge salads, wagyu beef, bone marrow with oysters, creamed spinach, and more.
D.C.-based Malaysian restaurant Makan now has a second location in the Lowcountry. Chef James Wozniuk wanted the South Carolina location to feature local seafood. The ikan asam pedas, a Malaysian hot and sour fish curry, is a must-try if you like spice. There’s also rendand daging (dry beef curry), curry mee (noodle soup with chicken sausage), and kerabu mangga (mango salad).
Charleston is going crazy for soup dumplings, and newcomer Chef Loong Dim Sum delivers. The restaurant offers four flavors (pork soup, chicken soup, pork tomato soup, and truffle pork soup). The rest of the menu is quite extensive as well, with selections ranging from Sichuan mala chicken, crab rangoon, dan dan noodles, mapo tofu, and more.
The team behind Italian favorite Le Farfalle has an enticing new cafe in Charleston. The focus of Da Toscano Porchetta Shop is the housemade focaccia and everything that can be sandwiched between the airy bread. Chef Michael Toscano serves a filling chorizo and egg sandwich in the morning and a sumptuous porchetta sandwich in the afternoon. There’s also choices like prime rib, roast chicken, marinated eggplant, and so much more.
Charming new hotel the Dunlin offers sweeping views of the Kiawah River, abundant hospitality, and coastal Southern fare in its signature restaurant, Linnette’s. Chef Michael DeCicco puts out dishes like a pressed and pickled watermelon salad, wood-fired oysters, cornmeal-crusted flounder, and a sorghum-benne lacquered steak with charred okra.